A History of Violence

This is a weird one.

David Cronenberg is perhaps the second most off-the-wall director out there (David Lynch has to be the first) making movies that defy Hollywood convention.

This one however is quite mainstream for him but still has those little touches of his that ensure you don't think he's lost it.

The film tells the tale of Tom Stall, a diner owner in a small town who becomes a local hero after foiling a robbery attempt, killing the two robbers along the way. As he becomes use to the fame he attracts the attention of some out-of-town gangsters who believe he is a mobster called Joey who has gone into hiding.

The plot is very straightforward and Cronenberg doesn't throw in any twists, that most directors would. What the film is about is the devastation to the family, in particular his wife, that the possible revelation has. The performances are alright but there isn't much in the script to challenge them artistically.

The ending is kept intentionally ambiguous which is perhaps the twist that Cronenberg had intended to give us (I'm not spoiling anything in saying that).